Freelancer Interivew

Games take time, particularly those projects that have an ambitious design. And we've also seen projects be delayed, hanging in virtual limbo, as a result of buyouts and changes at the producer level and above. Some of our most anticipated projects have fallen casualty to these two trends; slowly and surely the realization creeps upon me that I may never live to see X-COM Alliance in stores. Heck, our solar system probably won't even last long enough for that to happen.

One other title that seems to have been in a permanent holding pattern is Digital Anvil's latest space game, Freelancer. When Microsoft bought Digital Anvil we had hoped (as had Microsoft and Digital Anvil) that Freelancer would make it out the door by the end of 2001. But now, towards the end of 2002, we haven't heard much about it.

That is until we managed to corner the producer and project lead on Freelancer, Phil Wattenbarger. Phil explains where the game's been, where it's at right now and when we can expect to see it finished.

IGNPC: We haven't seen Freelancer in a while. What the heck is going on with this game anyway?

Phil Wattenbarger: Yeah, you haven't heard much from us lately. We've been knee-deep in development. We're working hard to make the game fun, done, shrink-wrapped and on the shelves!

We've recently hit the point in the production cycle where all the features and the content that we've been striving to get into the game are now in. Some of the highlights of new content and features in the last months are things like: three new fleets of ships, robot NPCs, bio-dome space stations, and a Turret cam for fighters and freighters. That last feature is my new favorite. There's nothing like joining a formation with four other players...one person leads the formation, the other players all go into turret mode...talk about firepower! You've got every angle covered with a 360-degree spray of fire!

We've also recently added news and rumors that give you specific information you need to play the different roles in the game - commodity trader, pirate, bounty hunter, police escort.

We're now at the point where our main focus is polishing (weapon balance, mission difficulty, and the player's progression through the game). All the elements are there, now we just need to tweak the data, play, test, react to feedback...adjust...and then repeat the cycle. The game is nearing completion and we're in the final stretch right now.

IGNPC: The project seems to have hit a few stumbling blocks during development. What's the story? What are some of the specific obstacles you've had to overcome?

Phil Wattenbarger: With Freelancer, we set out to make an involving, fun space game with an easily accessible interface - one that would appeal to both the casual and hard core gamer.

One of the greatest challenges has been striking a balance between keeping the interface simple while still allowing the player to have enough control to make tactical decisions. The solution has been a mix between keyboard control, mouse control, and AI controlled maneuvers.

We are creating a truly innovative game. And although innovation takes time, we've done it. Those who have played Freelancer in the last few months will attest, the game play is very addictive and the level of control over the ships is awesome.

IGNPC: With such a long development cycle, has it been hard to maintain focus? Has the main direction of the game changed much over the last year?

Phil Wattenbarger: We've taken the opportunity at each major milestone to look at all aspects of the game, and make sure they still work together as a whole. Software development is an iterative process where you try something, see how it works, and then work on making it better.

So we have made some adjustments, like making combat faster paced (and more exciting!), switching the default camera to third person to give the player a better situational awareness (you can still choose first person view). However, the essence of the vision is intact.

IGNPC: What's Chris Roberts' current connection to the development of Freelancer?

Phil Wattenbarger: Chris has no direct involvement. We have heard from him, though. He wants a copy of the Beta CD.

IGNPC: Nice. By the time most games are done, others are being made that take advantage of advances in technology. How have you sought to keep Freelancer competitive in those terms given the long development cycle?

Phil Wattenbarger: We've incorporated new technology throughout the development of the game. Freelancer looks better then any space game out there - just check out the screens we've released recently!

IGNPC: Freelancer shares a similar context and genre with titles like EVE Online and Earth and Beyond. How has the development of other, similarly themed games inspired or instructed you?

Phil Wattenbarger: All three games share 'space' in common. However, both Eve and E&B are MMORPGs and they have a completely different focus than Freelancer. We are a combat action game with RPG aspects that provides an engrossing cinematic story that draws you into the fiction of the universe. You can develop your character however you want...pirate living on the edgeworlds flying a Corsair Freighter and dealing in the commodity Cardamine...or a Bretonia Police sympathizer flying an elite fighter on patrols to keep the tradelanes clear of the Molly criminal faction. The game play options are practically endless and you can shift amongst them throughout the game. You're never locked into just one. We provide you with the story, the open-ended character development and the action!

In terms of the multiplayer game, we offer all the features of an MMORPG for free. We don't offer thousands of players per server (probably around 16), but the servers are persistent...and you can get together with your friends to explore the vast universe of Freelancer.

IGNPC: Will there be a beta between now and then? How about the system requirements?

Phil Wattenbarger: Our closed Beta is already in progress with approximately 500 testers.

We finished the first phase a few weeks ago. It focused mainly on multiplayer. Today, we are delivering the second phase of the closed Beta to manufacturing. We can't wait to start getting their feedback!

We don't have plans for a public beta at the moment, though we are planning on releasing a demo version.